Official meetings on foot-and-mouth disease management in Cyprus

President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou held meetings with European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen and Greek Minister Margaritis Schinas in Nicosia. The discussions occurred on the sidelines of the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers of Agriculture. A primary focus was the ongoing outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease and the need for uniform application of EU protocols across the entire island, including occupied areas. Demetriou requested EU assistance to ensure the health of livestock in all regions and emphasized that current funding is insufficient to protect the livestock sector. She also advocated for a review of specific EU protocols to better address the unique geographic and epidemiological conditions of island nations like Cyprus. Furthermore, participants discussed the restructuring of the Common Agricultural Policy and the necessity of accelerating vaccination programs. Officials noted that although measures have been implemented, the crisis in the livestock sector persists.